Autumn AntsRod Booker | First Published: April 2012

Cometh autumn cometh the ants.

Many fly fishers get excited in those first few warm days in spring when the temperature climbs into the low 20s and a few thundery clouds appear and before you realise it there are clouds of the gangly uncoordinated little termites flying about.

It is pretty much the same in autumn when it is the time for the ants, balmy or thundery days are the best as ground level ant activity increases. As you look about your feet seemingly every ant on the planet is out and about readying themselves for when they can take to the wing.

They are as ungainly flyers as their cousins the termite, and as such are fair game. For some reason fish seem to key in on them pretty quickly when these ant falls occur. Whether on lakes or rivers the concentrations of them provide plenty of income for little outlay on the trout’s behalf.

They cruise randomly and pick the fat juicy ants from the surface film. This random behaviour on lakes can be cause for some frustration for the angler. Trying to track a particular trouts beat is nigh on impossible. Utilising the shotgun method is probably your best option, visualise a section of water approximately 4x4m that may have some fish working in it and repeatedly cast into that area, or chuck leave and chance it. Often your offering will be picked off.

In streams it is a little more predictable as the ants will get channelled into the feeding lanes and bubble lines,: 90% of the time they are going to be facing upstream where there is reasonable flow and wait for the ants to drift to them. In the slower pools refer to the shotgun method.

With this particular pattern I am going down the foam road, as it is an exciting and innovative material to use. With foam coming in all different shapes, forms, colours and densities the possibilities are endless for the innovative and creative tyer who likes to think outside the box occasionally. These gaudy foam creations are pleasing to the fly tyer and trout alike, as the creator can sit back in a self-satisfied stupor and marvel at his creation.

To the trout they will be pleased at the profile the creator has created.

Just remember, it can be frustrating at times, so if you feel the pressure building and your eyes start to bleed, turn and walk away as it is of no good sense to have an aneurism for the sake of a stupid beastie with the brain the size of a pea.

Facts

TYING INSTRUCTIONS and MATERIALS

HOOK:

Kamasan B405 # 12

THREAD:

UTC 70 denier (burnt orange)

BODY:

Brown foam tube.

POST:

Red foam tube.

HACKLE:

Brown cock hackle

LEGS:

Small speckled orange centipede.

DUBBING:

Prism dubbing (rusty orange)

Reads: 1184

Attach the thread to the hook just forward of the centre of the shank, apply a small drop of superglue gel and then tie in the foam body. The body should be just over a centimetre long. When tying the foam to the hook use the thread to form a small gap be

Now take the red foam hackle post and lay it on top of the foam body with the end just over the gap, take a couple of turns of thread using the pinch and loop method and then pull tight. The post will stand upright.

Now take the centipede legs and tie in either side Madam X style.

Now tie in the hackle as shown, dull side down. Apply a small amount of dubbing to the thread and take several turns in front and behind the post, covering where the hackle has been tied in.

Now using your hackle pliers take several turns, (around 3 up and 3 down) on the post. Take the thread and weave through the hackle in the opposite direction to which you wound on the hackle, then under the head part of the foam body, take several turns a